What All The World's A-Seeking eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 158 pages of information about What All The World's A-Seeking.

What All The World's A-Seeking eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 158 pages of information about What All The World's A-Seeking.
as honorary pall-bearers.  Who can estimate the influence of a life such as this?  But it cannot be estimated; for it will flow from the ones personally influenced to others, and through them to others throughout eternity.  He alone who in His righteous balance weighs each human act can estimate it.  And his final munificent gift to mankind will make his name remembered and honored and blessed long after the accumulations of mere plutocrats are scattered and mankind forgets that they have ever lived.

Then have as your object the accumulation of great wealth if you choose; but bear in mind that, unless you are able to get beyond self, it will make you not great, but small, and you will rob life of the finer and better things in it.  If, on the other hand, you are guided by the principle that private wealth is but a private trust, and that direct usefulness or service to mankind is the only real measure of true greatness, and bring your life into harmony with it, then you will become and will be counted great; and with it will come that rich joy and happiness and satisfaction that always accompanies a life of true service, and therefore the best and truest life.

One can never afford to forget that personality, life, and character, that there may be the greatest service, are the chief things, and wealth merely the incident.  Nor can one afford to be among those who are too mean, too small, or too stingy to invest in anything that will grow and increase these.

PART III.

THE UNFOLDMENT

    If you’d have a rare growth and unfoldment supreme,
       And make life one long joy and contentment complete,
    Then with kindliness, love, and good will let it teem,
       And with service for all make it fully replete.

    If you’d have all the world and all heaven to love you,
       And that love with its power would you fully convince,
    Then love all the world; and men royal and true,
       Will make cry as you pass—­“God bless him, the prince!”

One beautiful feature of this principle of love and service is that this phase of one’s personality, or nature, can be grown.  I have heard it asked, If one hasn’t it to any marked degree naturally, what is to be done?  In reply let it be said, Forget self, get out of it for a little while, and, as it comes in your way, do something for some one, some kind service, some loving favor, it makes no difference how small it may appear.  But a kind look or word to one weary with care, from whose life all worth living for seems to have gone out; a helping hand or little lift to one almost discouraged,—­it may be that this is just the critical moment, a helping hand just now may change a life or a destiny.  Show yourself a friend to one who thinks he or she is friendless.

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What All The World's A-Seeking from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.